


Just Normal Lovers

by Shinocchi



Category: Si-Nis-Kanto
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Birthday, Bittersweet, Character Development, Character Study, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff and Smut, Gift Fic, M/M, Making Love, Post-Canon, Reminiscing, Sappy, Sensuality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 12:57:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15841761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinocchi/pseuds/Shinocchi
Summary: There's nothing Carlo Cassini can't achieve. He's a feared mafia boss, the King of Banku. He's the Grim Reaper, the demon; he's whatever label that's nothing but frightening.That's what everyone thought, that's what Carlo thought too.On his big day, he's going to be proven wrong.





	Just Normal Lovers

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday, Carlo! I'm fashionably late for one (1) day but I'm sure you'll forgive me since I share your trait, right? ;)
> 
> Anyway, I'm excited to post my first story for Si-Nis-Kanto here in honour of Carlo, my favourite mafia character. I haven't been doing enough for the characters for this game and honestly, it kind of surprised me to see no fic is posted at all here so I thought I could start contributing some. 
> 
> Oh right, I should also mention this story happens before Maki decides to move back to stay with Carlo.
> 
> I enjoyed writing this story very much, I hope you enjoy reading it too! :D

Banku was him. Even if it wasn’t him at first, he will make it his. Carlo never had a place to belong in the first place. He was unwelcome right from the moment he was born. No matter where he ended up in, he never felt like he truly belonged there. That’s why he wanted Banku. He will make Banku his place to belong. Once he’d have that idea in place, everything seemed to have set their own places in life, pushing him to stay single-minded, aiming only at one throne. He learned a lot from experiences; how much life had hurt him, he’d hurt it back. He took vanity in taking his place in the gray areas, fitting in contentedly between the good and the evil and often, the latter saluted him home like a long-lost child, giving him more confidence than he ever needed.

Carlo wasn’t a good man; he never intended to be one, and he’d experienced enough to know that only being cruel and immoral and coldblooded was the only way that could give him the freedom he needed.

And a place to belong.

He didn’t mind being titled as a demon or a Grim Reaper or whatever that would put the human value to the lowest of its level. He had nothing to lose, but he had much to gain from that. And it didn’t matter to him if whatever he earned wasn’t respect or love but pure fear and intimidation because those were what mattered at the end of the day: those were what that would push him to where he wanted himself to be.

Life always had a way with him; life was the one who’d forced him into committing crimes after crimes, taking lives after lives, and life was the one responsible for making him into a demon, holding his hand, whispering sweet nothings into his ears when he was lost, and ultimately, making a pact with him. It’s unfortunate, but that’s how it was. And Carlo had learned to accept who he really was and move on with his identity.

But yes, life always had a way with him. Because despite all the despair life gave him, life always gave him something else: a contrast. Life forced him into experiencing genuine love, concern, qualms. It pushed him into an area he thought he didn’t belong to and made him reconsider what it meant to be human. Life opened his eyes, for once, to look a person in the eyes, truly recognizing them for who they were instead of “benefits” and “enemies” and life, once again, took his hand, murmuring the same sweet nothings into his ears and told him that:

“ _It’s okay_.”

Life gave him not only one place to belong, but two; it gave him _two_ Si-Nis-Kanto.

They were Banku, one which he’d won with his blood-stained hands, scar-deep wounds, and lonely nights.

And another was Maki, one whom he brought into his life, and one who had forced his way into his life, giving him warmth in his hands, a welcome-home smile, and a safe night sleep.

It’s funny how life messed around with him. It’s even more ironic how life granted him with two Si-Nis-Kanto that were both so contrasting to each other.

But it didn’t matter. They were Carlo’s.

And for once in his life, he’s happy. Finally.

 

* * *

 

 

Banku now was like his playground. He can wander around as unreservedly as he liked, with no restraints whatsoever, and everyone around him treated like he’s the king of the town. Frankly, it boosted his pride significantly. Then again, he deserved it. He earned it. Every single dirt in this place -- he earned it. So of course, this would be the kind of treatment he should be expecting. If he ever said it in front of Maki, though, he was sure that he’d receive a glare and a few rounds of uncalled-for lectures from him.

What’s wrong with taking in pride for what he deserved though? He loved Maki, there’s no questioning it. But there were _so many_ things about Maki that he could _never_ understand. It’s not like they didn’t know about it either. Maki had _tons_ of things about Carlo that he could never understand and quarrelling with each other for the smallest things ever had been something they did every single time they met. They could fight about anything and everything, about what they didn’t understand about each other, and about things that they can’t bring themselves to be honest with each other. Speak about a twisted relationship, really. But that’s fitting to someone like Carlo anyway; toxic, sick, whatever it was, it’s just part of Carlo’s destiny and again, like how he’d come to embrace his mutated personalities, this kind of double-edged relationship gave him the ecstasy he was so very addicted to and so, he would, too, embrace it with pride.

The only thing was, he loved Maki. He was truly, really, in love with Maki. And that’s pathetic.

Carlo tilted his martini slightly in his hands, small smirk pinched on the corner of his lips, his eyes narrowed. Misecorde was as bustling as ever. The space was mixed with hundreds of conversations spoken over tables, all of them contesting with the sensual music conquering the stage. Carlo took his cigarette away from parted lips, gusting smoke out as it coiled and formed curls in the gloomy corner where Carlo was seated at. He was just done with another negotiation from the East. Now that he was slowly but surely taking over, more works stacked on top of his already almost-tumbling mountain of work, but all of them needed to be done. He wanted this after all; it’s just natural for him to take responsibility for it. Thanks to that, his time to see Maki was unsympathetically diminished, infuriating him more than ever.

Their meeting was never consistent. They made promises, but only sometimes. Most of the time, however, it was all bet upon coincidences and luck, something Carlo never took seriously.

He wondered if he would be able to see Maki today? Maki seemed busy himself, what with managing the children and all, but…

Just for a bit. Maybe. If… he could see Maki for just a bit. ...It should be fine, right?

Clicking his tongue, Carlo finished up the rest of his Martini and stood up, a waiter immediately came over to help him get into his coat.

“Leaving, sir?” the waiter asked.

“Yeah,” Carlo grumbled from his throat.

“Do you require a car?” the waiter suggested.

“It’s fine,” Carlo dismissed. “I’ll walk.”

“Sure. Have a safe trip back and have a good day.”

The waiter escorted him all the way to the door. Summer sun shone upon him right from the moment he set foot out of the club. Carlo clicked his tongue again, instantly regretting his decision. He should’ve called for a car, now he’s only going to sweat a bunch before he could head back to base and take a cold shower. He sauntered through the street, looking around; everyone else was moving on with life, paying him no attention. Once a while, some men would catch his eyes and got stunted for a while before they bowed and fleetingly left. Once a while, women would wave at him, he would return some courteous greetings, before rejecting every one of their invitation. His relationship with Maki wasn’t known in Banku; not that he never wanted to tell, but there’s simply no need to be loud about it. Besides, having Maki known as his lover would only do him more bad than good. He really didn’t want Maki to have to deal with threats all the time like he used to now. It’s one of the promises Carlo gave him. Enough running, enough hiding. Maki should be able to do just whatever he wanted to do.

As the weather became more and more horrendous, Carlo picked up his pace, speeding towards the hotel. This is ridiculous, what exactly was he thinking about? His thought process was disoriented and it’s all Maki’s fault. It’s been… how long? How long had he not seen Maki now? A week? A month? Shouldn’t be that long, right? What is Maki even doing now? Is he seeing someone else? Is he even eating well?

Argh, he didn’t even need to worry about any of these if it wasn’t Maki. Maki ruined his life, taking over it, even. He knew Maki would never like the idea of him spying on him so he refrained himself for doing so and that’s _so unlike him_.

Maki ruined his life.

He stormed into the hotel lobby, waved dismissively as the receptionist greeted him and dashed into the elevator.

Shower. He needed a good, long shower to get rid of these annoyances.

But once he arrived at the top level of the hotel, every one of those irritations was slapped out of his mind, replaced by pure shock instead.

“M-Maki?”

He dropped his jaw. Maki was standing right in front of the elevator, looking like he was about to leave. He immediately stepped back upon seeing Carlo, eyes wide, mouth opened.

“Carlo! You’re back!” he said, voice so loud Carlo could feel the tremors in his eardrums.

“Yeah,” Carlo said, still in disbelief. “You didn’t tell me you’re coming today.”

“Just for a bit,” Maki said, voice dropping, less gaudy than before. “Why? Miss me?”

“As if I would. You’re the one who’s missing me so much that you have to come all the way here, aren’t you?” Carlo heaved his usual smirk, hastily retaining his composure.

“What? You’re the one who is missing me! Don’t try to lie, Carlo. It doesn’t work on me anymore!”

“Lie? I’m not lying! As if I would get all sappy for not seeing another man in a month--”

“It’s only three days,” Maki interrupted.

Carlo stuttered. “Whatever. Point is, you miss me more, okay? That’s it. Argument done.”

Maki opened his mouth, as if he was about to say something but decided against it. He turned to look over his shoulder for a bit, then back at Carlo, who now had a frown on his face and a gaze that spelled of suspicions.

“So why are you here?” Carlo finally asked.

“Oh, right, just delivering some things,” Maki answered.

“Things? What are they?”

“Nothing important! By the way, do you have any other appointments later?” Maki said suddenly, one hand tugging on Carlo’s arm.

“No but… why?” Carlo raised a curious eyebrow.

“Let’s go out together, shall we?” Maki announced, slinging his arm around Carlo’s and clicking on the elevator button.

“Go out? Like a date?” Carlo asked, sounding a bit confused.

“Yup, a date. It’s been _three days_ since we didn’t see each other after all. Don’t you want some alone time?”

“Sure but, we can do it here too,” Carlo said but Maki rashly cut his words off again.

“I’ve got some places I’d like to go. Will you come with me?”

There’s no way Carlo can say no. Despite his burning need to run to the shower, he will never say no to his top priority.

So shower waits now.

 

* * *

 

 

“So… what is this place that you need to go?” Carlo questioned, attempting very hard to ignore the summer heat as he fanned himself with one hand.

“Don’t you have anything thinner to wear? Get rid of these feathers,” Maki teased upon seeing Carlo’s struggles. He was well aware of how spoiled the ZENCA boss is; it’d be a miracle on its own to see him walking down the streets under the sun, in a coat as thick as a towel. Sure, he’s intelligent and strong and it’s easy for him to kill like it’s nothing but this, the sun, the heat, would end him before anyone could lay a hand on him. It endeared Maki to no end.

“Valentine will cry,” Carlo screeched.

“Do you want to die or do you want him to cry?”

“If he cries, I die,” Carlo snapped.

Maki laughed out loud. They soon came to stand in front of what seemed to be a humble small boutique, located just a short distance away from the base. While Maki was about to step in, Carlo hauled him back by clutching onto his wrist.

“Wait, wait, you aren’t serious about changing my clothes, do you?” Carlo asked, swallowing down his throat.

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“Valentine will _really_ cry,” Carlo reminded in a grim tone.

“Don’t worry. If you die, I’ll follow you. So you won’t be alone. C’mon.”

Ignoring Carlo’s hesitance completely, Maki dragged him into the shop. Despite how unwilling Carlo seemed to be he couldn’t help himself to push Maki away so all that he could do was follow him, straightening himself up, putting on the prideful mask he always used to interact with the locals, and walked into the shop.

“Welcome!” An old lady greeted them from behind the counter. Upon approaching them, she clapped a hand against her mouth, astonished.

“Oh my, what did I do to earn this honour?”

“I--” Carlo started, but Maki quickly interrupted.

“He would like to try some summer wear, if you don’t mind. Something that’s… less thick,” Maki ended by giving Carlo a tongue-in-cheek sideway glance.

“Sure. Of course! Please wait for a few moments. I’ll prepare a few options for you.”

With that said, the woman disappeared into the store, leaving Carlo and Maki to look around the place.

“If nothing fits, we leave,” Carlo was quick to say. He wasn’t at all interested in the clothes in the boutique. Valentine had been his personal designer for as long as he could remember. While he didn’t mind whatever Valentine had chosen for him, it also eradicated the trouble for him to hunt for clothes himself so it wasn’t too much of a hassle to deal with.

Not until now.

“And if something fits, you’ll wear it,” Maki countered, looking through some of the shirts on the shelves.

The boutique was a modest place; it looked a lot like a family business. All the clothes on display were down-to-earth, meek styles that would be more than fitting for any of the passers-by in Banku that wasn’t Carlo. While Maki looked pretty ordinary himself, Carlo’s presence in the shop felt out of place. And he could clearly sense it. He couldn’t quite imagine how he would bring himself to wear most of the stuff in the shop. He wasn’t particular with fashion but he had to admit as much that he was particular with how he presented himself. And no way he’s going to wear simply a simple T-shirt and jeans, even when summer was killing him.

But that’s exactly what was offered to him when the lady came out from the store with a handful of selections: T-shirts. And jeans.

“No,” Carlo said upon elating one eye at the clothing.

“Casual would look good on you too,” Maki assured.

“I look good in anything but no,” Carlo spurned.

“Oh, c’mon, you never tried any of these before, didn’t you?” Maki asked, lifting a striped T-shirt.

“That’s because it--”

“Hmmm? Who was the one saying he looks good in anything, huh?” Maki drew a smirk at Carlo’s direction.

There’s no way he could win Maki. Summer was nasty. Not only that the weather was trying to kill him, even Maki had become the weather’s supporter, thinking that having Carlo to wear something that’s not a long coat and feathers would be a good idea.

“Besides, we’re going on a date, aren’t we?” Maki comforted again upon noticing Carlo’s conflicting expression. “And you wouldn’t want a lot of people to know who I really am.”

Carlo’s expression softened then. As he perked an interested eyebrow at Maki’s attention, Maki continued,

“How about this, take it as a disguise? By this, we can walk around without worries, and you won’t have to suffer in your ZENCA boss skin too.”

Well, Maki had a point. Carlo was already pretty powerless to whatever Maki requested of him but now that he actually had a concrete reason to back up his decision, Carlo couldn’t see any other way to say no to him.

With a sigh, he finally said,

“Fine, fine. Which one?”

“Try all of these!” Maki broke into a broad grin. He shoved three sets of clothing into Carlo’s hands and ushered him into the changing room, smiling all the way while all Carlo could do was grunting as he closed the door to the changing room, about to change his style for the first time ever since he rose to the throne of ZENCA.

 

* * *

 

 

He _definitely_ needed to change before he returned to base later. Dressed in a simple white T-shirt, dark-blue jeans with a cap on his head, Carlo paced out of the boutique looking flawlessly unrecognizable. The only accessory Maki had allowed him to keep with him was his shades, which made sense anyway, since the sun was _really_ bright and since Carlo insisted that it’d be great as a disguising tool too. He would never admit it to Maki but yeah, this new set of clothes really did make it easier for him to breathe. He was still sweating buckets, that goes without saying, but he wasn’t feeling like he’s dragging his legs when he walked now, and that alone was a remarkable change in its own.

“You’re not telling me to go back now that you’ve gone through all the troubles changing me into this, do you?” Carlo asked sheepishly while Maki looked around. Instead of answering him, Maki jerked him on the arm, draping his own arm around Carlo’s and pointing towards a distance.

“There! Let’s go there!”

Carlo followed his finger, finding himself looking at an ice-cream truck in a garden, surrounded by children.

“You gotta be joking me…” he muttered under his breath.

“Why not? It’s hot,” Maki elbowed.

“Ice-cream? Really? If you want one, we can go to the restaurant--”

“This is fine,” Maki interrupted before Carlo could finish his words, dragging him towards the direction of the ice-cream truck.

“Oh! Maki! It’s rare to see you out at a time like this!” the young man managing the ice-cream truck called out to him.

“Yeah! I took a break today,” Maki gave him a wide grin. “Give me the usual, and…”

Maki turned to look at Carlo, who was glaring at the man.

“What flavour do you want?” he asked, prodding on Carlo’s rib to capture his attention.

“Who’s that man?” Carlo snarled instead, eyes still fixed on the man.

“He’s the ice-cream man,” Maki answered.

“You two know each other?” Carlo’s frown deepened.

“Well, yeah, I always bring the children here for-- wait, this is not the time for that, Carlo,” Maki ended by whacking him on the arm.

“Ouch!” Carlo hitched a breath, finally shifting around to look right into Maki’s eyes. “You’re beating me up for a _man_?”

“ _Carlo, please!_ ” Maki reproved. “When will you ever grow up! He’s only selling ice-cream, for goodness sake! Now cut the crap and tell me what ice-cream flavour you want already.”

Carlo clicked his tongue and let out a hefty breath, as if trying to calm himself down before he spoke again,

“What are you having?”

“Vanilla,” Maki said briefly.

“The same then,” Carlo said in a small tone.

“Two vanilla ice-creams, please!”

The man merely waved at his direction without a word, telling enough that he’d heard Maki’s request loud and clear.

“This, Carlo Cassini, is an ice-cream,” Maki said as they both sat on an unoccupied bench they found near the truck. Carlo had been staring at it for the longest time ever and if he didn’t eat it now it’ll melt and it’d be gone. “You’re supposed to eat it.”

“I know what to do with it,” Carlo growled before he took a huge bite at the tip of the ice-cream.

“You’re supposed to lick it,” Maki sighed out loud. “Like this.”

With that said, he licked around the ice-cream, following its swirls, the cream staining his lips as he did. Carlo watched, wide-eyed, and swallowed down his throat when Maki finally looked at him and smiled.

“D-Don’t do that again, not outside, where everyone can see,” Carlo blurted.

“What? Why?” Maki asked, licking the cream off his lips at the same time.

“Do you have any idea how lewd that was? Goddamn it, have you been doing this when I’m not around?”

“I always bring the children here, so…”

“ _The children_ ,” Carlo breathed lowly.

“Carlo, stop overreacting over everything. It’s just an ice-cream,” Maki said as he continued eating.

Carlo had many things to say, but he quaffed down the last of his retorts and licked the ice-cream instead, like how Maki did it. It’s indeed easier to eat this way, but whenever he did it, he was reminded about an image that was totally unrelated to ice-cream and he hated himself for that. Maki would need to pay ten times for putting him in such torture.

“I know you mean well,” Maki said, finishing his food. “You probably don’t realize it yourself but you’ve changed, Carlo.”

Carlo was about to take another bite of his ice-cream when he stopped upon hearing Maki’s words.

“Changed…?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t have believed you to be the same person who’d stomped into the school and threatened everyone with guns. Or perhaps I’m starting to learn who you really are now,” Maki said, as if he was reminiscing.

It wasn’t something Carlo had ever considered himself. He wasn’t sure if he’d changed, but one thing that he was certain of, was that he’d come to pay attention to more things that he couldn’t be bothered in the past. Insignificant things like how many ZENCA members will ask him how he’s doing when he looked just a bit worn-out, and how he often found coffee or even snacks when he came out to work in the hall after that. Things like how he noticed the sweets from the shop down the corner of the street was sweeter than those in the East district. Things about Maki, especially. Details that he never deemed important nor useful in the past had now taken their places in his line of vision. It wasn’t like he was doing it on purpose; it just sort of happened naturally. And he was certain that it’s all because of Maki that this had happened. Maki had told him about the importance of survival in a different angle that Carlo never considered. Basic human needs and sleep, eat, and just live out of the need to enjoy and not to stay alive. Maki was the one who’d opened up this world for him, and perhaps that’s why he’s ‘changed’, and perhaps that’s why he’d come to develop…

...compassion.

That word drew a snort out of him. Compassion. Carlo. Two words that were never meant to be associated together, now found their way to each other. Such a great, ironic life he was living.

As if life hadn’t already played around with him like he’s just another toy.

“Carlo?” Maki called out, noticing the strained silence.

“Hm?”

“Are you okay? Is it the heat?” Maki asked, sounding concerned.

“I’m fine,” Carlo heaved a grin. “Just thinking about how stupid everything is.”

“Wow, I guess you’re really fine then,” Maki shook his head with a frown. “C’mon now, let’s go back.”

“Already?”

“Didn’t you say you prefer some _alone time_ in the base?” Maki said, already standing up from the bench.

Carlo speedily followed. “I did say that. Wait, does that mean you’re staying over today?”

“Yes, I am,” Maki nodded with a beam, before he held his hand towards Carlo, who took it without a second thought. “I’ll be with you for the rest of today, Carlo.”

All of a sudden, it didn’t matter where they were to spend their alone time anymore: outside here in the heat, or in the comfort of his own base.

 

* * *

 

 

If his day wasn’t already bizarre from the beginning, the worst had yet to happen. He was almost yanking his gun out when the flashy “Surprise!” welcomed him from the moment he stepped into the highest floor of the hotel, just to find confetti bucketing down on him, what seemed to be glittering specks of dust covering him from head to toe, as he stood rooted on the stop, in front of the elevator. He had absolutely _no idea_ what had just happened and for a long moment, he thought he was daydreaming, until Valentine came dashing towards him, _crying out loud_ \-- _what the_ hell _happened to your shirt?!_ \-- that he realized that this was no dream.

It was just another new set of reality Maki had dragged him into.

“You seemed… speechless,” Maki called out softly from his side, towing him back to himself.

He looked around, shaking his head a tad, a small smirk pulled on his face.

“Mind explaining what’s going on?”

“It’s my idea!” Maki hurriedly said. “It’s your big day, isn’t it? I thought it’s nice to have everyone celebrating it with you. Besides, from what I’ve heard, you’ve never celebrated it before?”

“Boss never remembers it,” Zigo said in a remote corner with a basket full of candies in his hands. Eshika stood right beside him, grimacing at the sight. “He probably doesn’t remember it now too.”

“Really?” Maki looked at Carlo again. “Do you not remember what day is it today?”

Carlo slanted his head a little, pondering. An anniversary? Some kind of... celebration? Did they win a fight? He had absolutely no clue. Seeing his answer on his face, Maki released a loud sigh.

“It’s your _birthday_ , Carlo.”

“Happy birthday, boss!” The entire floor instantly pulsated of cheers and applause.

Ah, right. His birthday. What date is it again? It’s not like he purposefully forgot about it; it’s just that he never reckoned it a need to remember, nor was it a day that was worth celebrating. It’s sardonic, really. Especially when he was an accidental child and his birth was probably unnecessary for many.

But to see ZENCA and Maki celebrating it for him like this… did things to him.

“Birthday,” he mouthed under his breath, as if trying to get used to the word.

“Yes, happy birthday, Carlo,” Maki smiled at him, and Carlo was quick to return his beam.

“We’ve prepared a feast of food and lots of alcohol,” Valentine spoke in a high-pitched tone, spreading one arm to show the long table of food and the many extravagant decorations in every corner of the space. “But first of all, we need to get you out of that hideous outfit. Seriously, what are you thinking? Never, I repeat, _never_ dress yourself without consulting me first, you hear me? What a waste to such a beautiful figure!”

Carlo laughed out loud. Well, Valentine _did_ cried like he’d speculated. But perhaps because today was meant to celebrate his birth that he was able to escape from the Grim Reaper’s hand. He cooperatively let Valentine lugged him off the place while the others started digging into the food, signalling the start of a full-night party.

 

When Maki once told him that ZENCA genuinely liked him, not out of fear or obligations, but out of pure, heartfelt admiration and respect, Carlo cackled out loud. Admiration towards him…? Don’t joke around. He knew who he was. He was the Grim Reaper of Banku. He bestowed pain and death. There’s _no way_ anyone would genuinely admire him. They probably told Maki that just so they could preserve their loyalty impression in front of Carlo. And of course, Maki was ever-so-innocent. He was way too untainted by the filthy tricks and ploys in the mafia world and of course, he’d believe whatever they said. But Maki told him that they didn’t tell him that. Not out loud, anyway. Not the _I truly respect boss_ way that sounded way too much like a pledge than a confession. But he found out through observations, from ZENCA’s actions, by the words they exchanged with each other when they were out of Carlo’s earshot; and none of those were meant for Carlo to hear nor see.

Carlo was pretty taken aback by that. He’d come to believe in the world he’d seen in his head and he believed that those were the only reality he needed to deal with. But with Maki, he was constantly challenged. Maki proposed realities that were often clashing with his own beliefs. They conflicted with the way he saw reality and to be honest, it was agitating him. What can he do with these newfound pieces of knowledge? What was he expected to do? Even if he wasn’t required to do anything at all, the awareness surely affected his behaviours. He couldn’t see things around him the same way anymore. And to think that a man as powerless and as petite as Maki can distress him in such a dominant way was tragic on its own.

But he let it happen. So in the end, he’s pathetic. He’s really not as great as he thought he was.

So, not knowing how else to respond to the situation, he simply let Maki be his chaperone. He tried to observe by himself too and he hated it when he was proven wrong. But that’s a process. _It’s development_ , Maki had told him. And it’s something he needed to go through, regardless if he liked it or not.

He wasn’t one to believe in fate but across time, he thought perhaps he was meant to meet Maki after all. Because Maki would be the one to bring him back to the right course of life.

Maki was going to put the angel label back on him.

“You sure you don’t want to join them? It’s your big day. We can’t lose the protagonist,” Maki stood at his bedroom’s doorway, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

“Nah, it’s fine,” Carlo brushed away, drinking languidly on his vodka. “Let them have fun.”

“You sure?” Maki asked again, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

“Don’t be such a grandma,” Carlo grunted. “They don’t need me now. Oh, just let them know I appreciate it.”

“Why don’t you tell them yourself?”

“They’re too drunk to hear, it’d be a waste of my effort,” Carlo simpered.

“...Point taken,” Maki nodded in agreement. “Then you should do it yourself later. When they’re soberer.”

“Okay then,” Carlo said, slurping down the rest of his alcohol. “Why not you come in and keep me company? Didn’t you say to spend some alone time with me here?”

“...I know where this will lead to…” Maki groaned before he walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Carlo heard the sound of a lock.

“Doesn’t seem like you’re against it anyway,” Carlo hauled him over by the wrist when he came close to him, causing Maki to stumble and fell into Carlo’s lap, where he was sitting on the couch.

“Do I ever get to say no?” Maki pouted as Carlo enveloped him into a firm embrace. Carlo’s arms were wide, pleasantly embracing Maki into a nice cuddle as Maki rested his head against his chest.

“Yes, and you know you always have an option,” Carlo said, long fingers combing through Maki’s hair soothingly.

“What an honour. To be given an option by the great Carlo Cassini,” Maki goaded.

Carlo chuckled. “Just so you know, the Carlo Cassini is here today because of you.”

“Wow, how unusual,” Maki sat up, staring wide-eyed at Carlo. “Thought you’re going to snap on me or something. One of those ‘ _of course, I’m Carlo Cassini after all. I make the rules_ ’ thing.”

Carlo laughed out loud this time. With his hands on Maki’s waist, he inched his face closer, the tips of their nose tenderly brushed against each other.

“Usually, I would. But not today. I don’t want to waste the time to fight with you today. I need you. And I need you now.”

Those words sent a blistering stream right up to the tips of Maki’s ears, his face boiling red. In the next second, Carlo had propped closer to kiss him, lips nibbling flirtatiously at the corner of his lips at first, before he pushed against Maki’s lips, urging him to open his mouth.

Sex with Carlo was always great. He lived up to the rumour, to how magnificent his kiss was, and to how much of an expert he was when it came to sex. He knew exactly where to touch to trigger the best response out of Maki, and needless to say, he knew exactly how to tease to linger Maki between giving in to his lust or to hold onto the very last of his sanity as long as his conscious mind allowed him to. It’s what made Carlo Cassini so scary. He knew too much of other’s weaknesses and he knew how to use them to his best advantage. He’s the demon with irresistible sweet nothings, whispering and seducing in one’s ear until they fell completely into his trap and conform to everything he needed them to do.

Carlo Cassini was this kind of human; and proudly so.

“Did you do it yourself when I’m not around?” Carlo teased, long, gorgeous fingers fondling indolently on Maki’s half-erected length as he towered over him. Maki bit on his lower lip; Carlo has scratched on his faintly damped slit, sneering all the way.

“Shut up,” was all Maki managed to say before he went back to seizing hard on the mattress and suppressing his voice.

“Let me hear it,” Carlo leaned towards him to kiss him on the corner of his lip.

“No,” Maki gritted.

“Why not?” Carlo asked, putting tension around Maki’s dick as he rubbed harder and quicker.

“Ugh!” Maki moaned out loud, instantly drawing a satisfied grin on Carlo’s face.

“There it is,” he whispered hotly into Maki’s ear, causing goose bumps to form all over Maki’s body.

“C-Can’t you be… quiet…” Maki retorted in between heavy breathing. With a low-slung chuckle, Carlo pulled his hand away from Maki’s dick and reached out to the bottle of oil on the bedside table.

“Do you really want me to be quiet?” Carlo asked, voice no less heated than his lust-ridden face.

Maki averted his gaze then. He closed his eyes upon hearing the sound of the oil bottle being opened, then feeling the familiar cold sensation against his hole when Carlo rubbed two fingers against it.

“Seems pretty loose. So you _did_ do it yourself after all?” Carlo mocked, pushing two fingers into Maki as he spoke.

A long moan spilled from Maki’s mouth. Desperate for support, he held one hand onto Carlo’s wrist, feeling the motion of Carlo’s moving fingers within him, the action smooth and practiced. Carlo wasn’t wrong, but he wasn’t going to spell every truth out to him just because Carlo demanded it. Besides, Carlo always knew the best way to know the answers to all the questions he ever had. Maki didn’t need to do it for him.

Now that he thought about it, even when they first had sex (if they could call that sex, to be honest), or when Carlo first took his virginity, he treated Maki the same like how he was treating him now. Despite how much Maki retorted and screamed and resisted, he took his time with Maki, letting Maki to gradually warm up to the process and to the reality that he was going to be fucked, and then even patiently preparing him, guiding him all the way throughout the process. He definitely wouldn’t say that it was at all enjoyable, but it did felt good, and yes, Carlo was great in sex.

Carlo didn’t need to do that back then. To him, Maki was nothing more than a bait. Easily disposable and worth of nothing. But he did.

And perhaps… just maybe, that’s how Carlo was all along, even before they ended up together. Beneath the demonic mask he was obligated to wear, deep within, he was still an angel, hidden in his own cage, revealed to only a selected few.

When Maki came back to himself, Carlo already had his dick pressing against his hole, all ready to penetrate him. He seemed to have noticed how distracted Maki was, though, so he stopped, bending over to kiss Maki on his closed eye.

“What is it?” Carlo asked. This time, there was no insinuation of tease in his voice. But there was a hint of concern and that’s all Maki needed to open his eyes and smiled at him, before he cupped his face.

“Nothing,” Maki said. “Just reminded of when we first had sex.”

Carlo’s eyes widened, surprised. He looked away for a bit, searching his memories, before the corners of his lips arched into a small curve.

“Ah, right, that time. You acted like a dying tuna, it was amusing.”

“Hey!” Maki frowned with a pout. “Anyone would panic when they’re about to get raped! It’s nothing funny.”

“Did I rape you, though?” Carlo asked, sounding mellower now as he planted another kiss on Maki’s scar.

“...You didn’t. Which is _so weird_ ,” Maki complained loudly.

Carlo, however, frowned at his words.

“You’re totally expecting me to rape you, huh?”

“Who wouldn’t? You’re Carlo Cassini. You will do _anything_ to make anyone submit to you. If you can kill effortlessly, what’s more rape easily?” Maki huffed.

Carlo laughed. “I guess you have a point. And you’re right. I’ll do _anything_ to make anyone submit to me. But you, however,” with a pause, Carlo’s voice slumped an octave lower as he gazed deeply into Maki’s eyes. “You didn’t submit, no matter what I did to you.”

“I’m not afraid of you. Not before, not now, not ever,” Maki professed, being totally honest.

“And that’s why you’re out of my league,” Carlo said, smirking deeply.

“No, you’re wrong,” Maki disagreed. Reaching his hands downwards to stretch his hole open for Carlo, he continued. “That’s why I’m _in_ your league. I’m not here to submit, Carlo, I’m here to stand by your side, as your equal.”

It baffled Carlo to hear what Maki had just said, the man who swore to be his equal, yet was openly seducing him to penetrate him, accepting him and yearning for him all at once. But Maki wasn’t wrong. At this very moment, Maki wasn’t submitting to him, he’s _demanding_ Carlo to take him. And regardless if Carlo acknowledge that switch of position or not, Carlo knew that he was powerless against Maki; he knew that there was no way he’d say no to him.

So he buried himself in him, trouncing him in the hilt on one strong thrust and having Maki to arch his back as he moaned out loud. Right from the moment he was in him, Maki wrapped his insides compactly around Carlo, as if telling him that he’s not going to let him go and that he’ll always be here to provide Carlo with the best pleasure to his finest ability. All Carlo needed to do was to return the favour. Carlo was great in this; sex was the only thing he’s been taught with. And he was confident. He angled all his thrusts against Maki’s sensitive spots, pushing the conscious out of his mind.

“Maki,” Carlo called out in a rasping voice. This is bad. If this goes on, he’d have no choice but to become downright addicted to Maki and there’s no way he could have sex with someone else anymore. There goes his using-sex-to-get-whatever-he-wants strategy.

“Carlo… Carlo,” Maki responded, hugging onto Carlo’s back as he approached his limit.

Carlo was serious about it. He wasn’t in the mood to tease and prolong the wait for them to see and feel each other. Three days was too long even for Carlo; he couldn’t even handle three hours. And right at this moment, all he ever wanted was to feel Maki in his arms, to feel his pulse, his warmth, the way his body reacted to his touch, and the way he could speak of nothing but his name.

This is more than enough. Even if Banku was jealous of him, he’ll never let Maki go.

 

* * *

 

 

When he woke, Maki wasn’t by his side. Panic, he speedily lugged a coat, cloaked it around his body and strolled out of the room.

“Maki!” he called out.

The room was a disastrous scene. The aftereffect of the party was horrendous; there were trashes everywhere, drunk men laying all over the floor and it made it hard for Carlo to move. Clicking his tongue, he tottered past the men, heading towards the elevator, when someone called out to him from behind.

“Maki is on the rooftop.”

He turned around, finding himself face to face with Eshika, who looked like the most and only sober person in the room.

“Why is he there?” Carlo asked.

“I should be asking you that,” Eshika snapped. He tossed a can bottle into the trash bin before he continued. “Not going to ask what’s happening between the both of you though.”

Carlo knew exactly what Eshika implied. Perhaps even before Carlo, Eshika was already in love with Maki, unobtrusively protecting him by his side, prioritizing him over himself. It made him feel complicated, but if he could be honest with himself, he was pretty proud about how Maki choose him instead. The survival of the fittest, even when it comes to love.

“You better take care of him,” Eshika warned, hauling out the trash from the bin and putting them into a bigger basket. “I don’t want to see him crying so hard again like when we left this place.”

“...He did?” That caught Carlo by surprise. He tried not to think too much about the day Maki betrayed and left him. But when it’s brought up like this, he couldn’t help but feel curious. What exactly was Maki thinking when he left that day? How did he feel? Did he feel the same pain as of how Carlo felt? Did he… already fall for Carlo then?

Eshika sent a glare at Carlo’s direction. Chucking the basket onto the floor, he walked towards Carlo, staring him stridently in his eyes.

“Yes, he did. He also didn’t eat for a few days, thank you very much.”

As if Carlo was any better. But he wasn’t going to fight with Eshika here. It’s all thanks to Eshika, who’d looked after Maki when he was away, that he was able to come back in one piece. And Eshika had been unbelievably helpful and tolerating when he’s in ZENCA as well. He’s not going to lose a right-hand man for something that’d happened in the past.

“I’ll take care of him,” Carlo said instead. “Not going to make him cry again. Except in--”

“Off you go,” Eshika pushed him into the opened elevator door before Carlo can finish his words, drawing a loud laugh out of Carlo. He’d never be able to get rid of this part of his personality. There’s just something about seeing the nuisances in one’s face that’d amused him so much. It’s a bad habit, horrible, even. But it made him who he was. He’s going to keep it. Even if Maki had an opinion about it, he’s going to keep it.

Sure enough, he found Maki on the rooftop, leaning against the bars, staring into a distance. He didn’t seem to notice that Carlo was approaching him, squealing when Carlo hugged him from behind.

“You gotta be more careful,” Carlo whispered into his ear before licking coyly along the line of his ear shell. “What if I’m an enemy?”

“Then that enemy is dead,” Maki giggled, leaning into Carlo’s embrace.

“What are you doing here?” Carlo asked, joining Maki to stare into the night view of Banku.

“Sorry, did I scare you? Did you panic when you can’t find me?”

“Panic? Me? Don’t joke around,” Carlo raised his voice.

“Really?” Maki lifted a suspicious eye at him.

“Of course!”

“Hmm… I see,” Maki purposefully dropped his tone without another word.

And that’s how Carlo knew he’d screwed up. Swallowing down his throat, he released a light sigh.

“Yeah, I panic. I thought--”

“--I’d leave you again?” Maki continued his words for him. With a smile, he caressed Carlo on the top of his head. “I’ll never. I promise.”

Carlo buried his head against the crook between Maki’s neck and shoulder, coddling in Maki’s pleasant scent, enjoying the night breeze all at once.

“Hey, Carlo,” Maki spoke after what felt like forever.

“Hm?”

“Have you found your Si-Nis-Kanto?”

The question took Carlo in surprise but he was fast to regain his composure as he nodded.

“Yeah.”

“That’s great.” Even without needing to look at Maki’s face, Carlo knew that he was smiling blazingly. “You found it. Because you didn’t give up. And because you exist. You’re alive, living your life, fighting for every one of your survival. You deserve it.”

Maki’s words did things to him. _You exist. You’re alive._ He never thought of himself as a man worthy of value. He existed for his selfish purpose, and since a long time ago, he’d given up on the idea of searching for his own happiness. But today, as he watched Banku at his feet, with Maki in his arms, for the first time in his life, he was grateful that he was given a life, and that he didn’t give up on it.

Because, like Maki said, that’s how he had found his Si-Nis-Kanto. Not one, but two of them.

And it’s now on him to protect them. Both of them.

 

 


End file.
